South Shore Endoscopy Center Nurses Vote to Ratify First MNA Contract Following Strike Vote Against Mass General Brigham

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Dec 07, 2023, 09:47 ET

South Shore Endoscopy Center nurses joined the MNA and negotiated a union contract to help provide excellent gastrointestinal care to Braintree area patients

BRAINTREE, Mass., Dec. 7, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Registered nurses at Brigham and Women's Harbor Medical Associates South Shore Endoscopy (SSEC), represented by the Massachusetts Nurses Association (MNA), voted on Wednesday, December 6 to ratify a first MNA contract that will help nurses continue to provide the high-quality gastrointestinal care their patients need and deserve.

"Despite the many roadblocks put up by Mass General Brigham, our nurses persevered and reached an agreement that will benefit nurses and the patients who count on us for quality care," said SSEC RN Christine Smith, a member of the nurses' MNA Bargaining Committee. "Voting to ratify a union contract means securing our equal seat at the table and being able to hold MGB accountable for the benefits and protections we have won through organizing."

SSEC nurses voted on November 1 to authorize a potential strike. The nurses returned to the bargaining table following the strike vote and were able to reach an agreement without setting a strike date. The nurses play a key role in providing gastrointestinal (GI) procedures that do not require hospitalization. Thanks to the hard work and skill of the nurses and other team members, SSEC is known as an exceptional endoscopy practice. The nurses won a union election on September 27, 2022.

MNA Contract Highlights

Duration: The contract takes effect upon ratification and lasts through December 31, 2026.
Wage Step Scale: A wage step scale that provides fair and transparent pay increases for nurses as they gain years of experience at SSEC.
Competitive Pay: Nurses will receive a series of across-the-board raises in addition to the wage step scale to help keep nurse pay competitive and enable SSEC to recruit and retain nurses. The nurses will also receive ratification bonuses.
Differential Pay: Nurses will receive additional pay if they are acting as a "charge" nurse coordinating patient care flow or as a "preceptor" educating newer nurses.
Tuition and Certification Reimbursement: Nurses will be entitled to have their employer pay for annual tuition and professional certification costs up to a certain amount.
Secured Benefits: The contract protects various benefits, such as time off, holidays, insurance, etc. from being changed without agreement by the nurses.
Just Cause: This is a well-established and universally recognized standard in labor law providing nurses protection against arbitrary or unfair discipline. This helps ensure that nurses can advocate for patients and colleagues without fear of retaliation.
Grievance and Arbitration: These clauses — part of all MNA contracts — are a crucial tool for addressing and rectifying violations of the contract.

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Founded in 1903, the Massachusetts Nurses Association is the largest union of registered nurses in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Its 25,000 members advance the nursing profession by fostering high standards of nursing practice, promoting the economic and general welfare of nurses in the workplace, projecting a positive and realistic view of nursing, and by lobbying the Legislature and regulatory agencies on health care issues affecting nurses and the public.

SOURCE Massachusetts Nurses Association